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For plasmonic alloy nanoparticles, theoretical modeling and experimental characterization are both central to our capabilities involving predictable synthesis and targeted applications. This article uses composition-tunable colloidal Au−Cu nanoparticles as a model system for exploring the issue of reliable experimental determination of composition in plasmonic alloy nanoparticles and correlation of this experimental data with theoretical predictions. Highly uniform spherical Au1-xCux alloy nanoparticles were synthesized with compositions ranging from x = 0 to 0.5. The particle compositions were analyzed independently using both powder X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), which represent two of the most common nanoparticle composition analysis techniques. The plasmon resonance frequencies, determined experimentally for each sample using UV−vis spectroscopy, red shift with increasing copper content as expected. These experimentally determined plasmon resonance frequencies ...

The optical properties of metal nanomaterials are determined by a set of parameters that include composition, particle size and shape, overall architecture, and local environment. This Tutorial Review examines the influence of each of these factors on the localized surface plasmon resonance of colloidal metal nanoparticles. This examination is paralleled with a discussion of the advances which have enabled the synthesis of structurally defined metal nanomaterials, as these samples serve as the best platforms for elucidating the fundamental properties of plasmonic colloids. Based on the analysis of such samples, five guidelines are presented to aid the rational design and synthesis of new metal nanostructures for advanced applications in nanomedicine, energy, chemical sensing, and colloidal plasmonics in general.

Germanium nanoparticles with an average size of 5 ± 1 nm were synthesized by the room-temperature reduction of GeCl4 in ethylene glycol using a solution of NaBH4 in triglyme. By modifying the reaction conditions, other morphologies can also be accessed, including larger spherical particles and nanocubes.

The optical properties of metal nanomaterials are determined by a set of parameters that include composition, particle size and shape, overall architecture, and local environment. This Tutorial Review examines the influence of each of these factors on the localized surface plasmon resonance of colloidal metal nanoparticles. This examination is paralleled with a discussion of the advances which have enabled the synthesis of structurally defined metal nanomaterials, as these samples serve as the best platforms for elucidating the fundamental properties of plasmonic colloids. Based on the analysis of such samples, five guidelines are presented to aid the rational design and synthesis of new metal nanostructures for advanced applications in nanomedicine, energy, chemical sensing, and colloidal plasmonics in general.

Aerosol methods, including spray drying and spray pyrolysis, represent industrial scale routes to materials on account of their continuous nature. Recently, these methods have been used to prepare size-, shape- and architecturally controlled nanostructures for a range of inorganic materials. In this Feature Article, a brief overview of traditional aerosol methods is provided. Then, the new chemical methods that have been integrated into aerosol techniques to achieve high quality nanomaterials are highlighted. Given that the properties of nanomaterials are dependent on their structural features, these synthetic advances help to address the critical need for new nanomanufacturing routes to materials.